A “top drive” vehicle is a term used for a modified off-road vehicle, such as a truck or SUV, that has a deck mounted above the roof of the vehicle with railing around the deck, and with driver and passenger seats on the deck. The vehicle is then modified, so that it can be driven from the deck instead of the standard driver's seat in the original vehicle. The vehicle is modified in this manner to afford the driver and passengers a better view of the surrounding wildlife for photo safaris, hunting or related activities. In most cases these vehicles are used in terrain having low brush or grass, in which case the view from the roof provides an improved line of sight over the standard driver's or passenger's seats.
However, conventional top drive vehicles have several significant drawbacks. First, because they are top-heavy, they can be very dangerous to drive in rough or uneven terrain. They are also very uncomfortable for the passengers when traveling over even slightly rough or uneven terrain since the vehicle's movement is magnified due to the passenger compartment being so high. In addition, the passenger compartment in this type of vehicle is extremely cumbersome to enter and exit.
It would beneficial, therefore, to have a vehicle which provided an enhanced line of sight to surrounding wildlife while also having a lower center of gravity to navigate rough or uneven terrain while facilitating ingress and egress.